Abstract
Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is to study the media coverage of the Kashmir war and the impact it created on the general population and the world at large. The materialization of blogging as a source of information and other Web 2.0 methods of reporting had not been formulated by then but the coverage would be different from what we see in the international media. A key standard in this respect is the credibility of information given out to the public as news.
Approach – This paper brings out a review of recent literature about the war in Kashmir together with the central characteristics of mainstream news and journalism.
Findings: There is no doubt that the media has had an influential role in the war and the actions taken by both sides. The important attributes of credibility and drawing in public trust in the news sphere, still, frequently depends upon the established reputation of known news “brands”.
Introduction
The mass communication revolution that has occurred in the last century has had more far-reaching repercussions for conflict avoidance and resolution. Extraordinary breakthroughs in I.T and communications structures have led to the materialization of an information-based community globally. Individuals are being barraged by information on the current events and advancements in other areas of the globe, encompassing both good and bad news. This has motivated individuals, governments, NGO’s and international institutions, to proceed or mediate in resolving differences in other nations. This paper seeks to explore the extent of these influences on the development of the peace processes in various regional conflicts and their aftermath, using the unresolved Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan as a case study (Yale, p. 55).
On occasions where the media has reported on Kashmir, the reports certainly center on the likelihood of war between the two countries India and Pakistan. Both were under British rule. In any case, in the half-century of their continued Independence from each other, the two countries have before now waged three wars against each other. All previous disputes have been centered on the borderline territory of Kashmir. Many lives have been lost and property destroyed following these three wars. The future indicates that hundreds of millions of more lives are still bound to be lost if the fourth war waged turns out to involve nuclear weapons. For the Kashmiri population, tragedy has by now struck through the manifestation of violent uprising against the Indian military and general central government that has led to the loss of lives of about thirty-five thousand Kashmiris in twelve years. Kashmir was once thought to be unreal seventh heaven which has turned out to be an existent hell. 13 million individuals from Kashmir, innocent residents of Kashmir and rebels alike, have been exposed to virtually every imaginable ill-treatment and suffering since the armed differences between Muslim rebels and Indian security forces erupted in1989.
History of the War
The Kashmir conflict is a territorial disagreement over the area known as Kashmir that lies between the borders of three countries India, Pakistan, and China. The dispute has been ongoing since the British withdrew from the subcontinent region in 1947. Although several solutions have been fronted by all parties, the issue has never been resolved. Currently, the issue has turned and become a cold war as all parties are not violently confronting each other but are maintaining their armies over the territory (Zenra, p. 90). The major parties within the issue are India and Pakistan. There have been three wars that have been fought over the territory, the first being in 1947, the second being in 1965, and the latest being fought in 1999 (Bercovitch, p. 103). All these three wars have been involving Pakistan and India. There has also been a war between China and India in 1962 and it was over the territory of Aksai Chin.
The genesis of the problem
The root cause started after a few months after British occupation and after the partitioning of states that were to be headed by regional rulers. Following this action, the state of Kashmir was left on its own to decide which country it wanted to be aligned with. Following some period of indecisiveness by Maharaja Hari Singh, India managed to convince the Maharaja to sign an instrument of accession that gave the Indian union full authority over the state. This action did not go down well with the Pakistanis as they felt betrayed by the Maharaja’s actions as they believed that all states that had a predominantly Muslim population, belonged to them (Bercovitch, p. 69). This led to attacks on the states of Kashmir and Jammu. This led to the Maharaja seeking refuge in India.
Believing that they had full accession over the state of Kashmir, the Indians sent their troops to defend, but by then the Pakistanis had taken over a large part of the state. Contained warfare between the two countries continued up to 1948 when the prime minister of India declared a cease-fire over the region. A plebiscite was called and a complaint against Pakistan’s action was filed in the United Nations Security Council.
Causes of the Conflict
After India took the Pakistani country to the UN, they demanded the full withdrawal of the Pakistani troops from the region. The pressure to withdraw was also being pushed by the Security Council who had since declared a United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan. However, the Pakistan Government of the time decided not to withdraw as there was no strong International pressure on them to do so. The region was labeled a disputed territory between the two countries and hence the International community decided to turn a blind eye. Instead, a line of control was a border that defined the areas being controlled by the two countries separately. The main cause of the conflict has been the repeated attacks by the Pakistani military on the Indian side of the Kashmir region (Wirsing, p. 89). In the times that the two countries have been at war over the region, it has been mostly because of the continued infiltrations of military personnel from both countries and the continued accusations of murder and torture of captured troops by both governments.
History of Confrontation
As stated earlier the issue of the two countries has been ongoing for over six decades but violent warfare has happened only on three occasions i.e. in 1947, which was precipitated by attacks by Pakistani villagers on the Kashmir territory. This forced the Indian government to intervene after assistance was requested by Maharaja Hari Singh. At the time the two governments had signed a pact of nonintervention that limited their involvement in the territory. For any involvement to occur, the state of Kashmir had to join the Indian Union. It is at this point that the Maharaja ceded control of the Kashmir and Jammu regions to the Indians. It would have been illegal for India to be involved as it was even difficult to pertain and prove that the Government of Pakistan was behind the attacks (Gilberts, p. 70). The war that followed lasted up to 1948 where a cease-fire was brokered to end the bloodshed that had led to the loss of lives of both civilians and military troops from both sides of the divide. The second war between the two countries was held in 1965 where fighting broke between the two countries and this again was quelled by a cease-fire that established all disputes regarding the regions would be solved through peaceful means. The war resulted in the formation of Bangladesh. The last serious confrontation between the countries was in 1999 where militants attacked Kargil which h at the time was being controlled by the Indians. This war was of serious concern as both countries had by this time accumulated nuclear muscle and this threatened world peace (Gilberts, p. 56). After interventions from the American government, the militias decided to relinquish control to the Indians.
Current State
At the moment, India continues to declare sovereignty over the region of Kashmir. Ongoing talks have been marred by recent controversies such as the terrorist attacks in both countries by militants. Both countries continue to point an accusing finger at each other regarding the attacks. Talks were currently suspended after the attacks that led to the loss of lives of citizens from both sides.
The solution to current Impasse
Possible solutions have been fronted by Pakistan, Indian, and other international officials. Due to several factors such as the material cost in conjunction with the financial costs, a solution has never been reached conclusively. The leadership crisis in both countries is also partly to blame as no solution has been implemented to the end as prime ministers and leaders in both countries are often overthrown (Bercovitch, p. 103). This state of affairs has increased the turmoil and the risk of a nuclear attack from both sides. The most probable solution that has been fronted has been the Kashmir region seeking autonomy from both countries with each side holding control over the region.
Conclusion
The war and the impasse on the Kashmir border should stop as the region threatens international security. Both countries have amassed nuclear stockpiles. The militant exchanges and infiltrations should stop as the loss of lives of citizens are hurting both sides.. The dispute has been ongoing since the British withdrew from the subcontinent region in 1947. Although several solutions have been fronted by all parties, the issue has never been resolved. Currently, the issue has turned and become a cold war as all parties are not violently confronting each other but are maintaining their armies over the territory (Zenra, p. 90). The major parties within the issue are India and Pakistan. There have been three wars that have been fought over the territory, the first being in 1947, the second being in 1965, and the latest being fought in 1999 (Bercovitch, p. 102). All these three wars have been involving Pakistan and India. There has also been a war between China and India in 1962 and it was over the territory of Aksai Chin.
Works Cited
- Bercovitch, Jacob. International conflict: a chronological encyclopedia of conflicts and their management, 1945-1995.NewYork: Congressional Quarterly, 1997.Print.
- Rilberts, Naomi. Kashmir in the shadow of war: regional rivalries in a nuclear age. London: Oxford Publishers, 2003.Print.
- Wirsing, Robert. India, Pakistan, and the Kashmir dispute: on regional conflict and its resolution. Sydney: Palgrave Macmillan, 1998. Print.
- Yale, Ben. Regional conflicts in Asia. London: Oxford Publishers, 2008. Print
- Zenra, Peter. The Media and Kashmir war. New York: CRC Publishers, 2007.Print